AD NUMBER: 2018-24-04

PRODUCT: Certain Airbus SAS Model A330-200 Freighter, A330-200, and A330-300 series airplanes.

ACTION: Final Rule.

SUMMARY: This AD was prompted by a revision of a certain airworthiness limitations item (ALI) document, which specifies new or more restrictive maintenance instructions and airworthiness limitations, and a determination that those maintenance instructions and airworthiness limitations are necessary.

This AD requires revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive maintenance instructions and airworthiness limitations.

DATES: This AD is effective January 2, 2019.

COST: The FAA estimates that this AD affects 105 airplanes of U.S. registry. Operators may incur the following costs in order to comply with this AD:

Revising the existing maintenance or inspection program takes an average of 90 work-hours per operator, although this number may vary from operator to operator. In the past, the FAA has estimated that this action takes 1 work-hour per airplane.

Since operators incorporate maintenance or inspection program changes for their affected fleet(s), a per-operator estimate is more accurate than a per-airplane estimate. Therefore, the total cost per operator is estimated to be $7,650 (90 work-hours x $85 per work-hour).

FMI: AD